Huuuush Puppy!

This post is dedicated to my good and dedicated blogging buddy Dan over at No Facilities who recently suffered a travesty of the culinary kind when a restaurant he tried offerd up their own (abomination) version a true Southern favorite-the beloved fried cornbread delight know as a hush puppy.

The first recorded use of the word “hush-puppy” dates to 1899.[3] The name is often attributed to hunters, fishermen, or other cooks who would fry some basic cornmeal mixture (possibly that they had been bread-coating or battering their own food with) and feed it to their dogs to “hush the puppies” during cook-outs or fish-fries.[4] Other legends date the term to the Civil War, in which Confederate soldiers are said to have tossed fried cornbread to quell the barks of their dogs.[5][6]

~Wikipedia

This, for the record, is a photo of a real, authentic, Louisiana style hush puppy.

Notice the crispy, golden outer layer? Many hush puppies taste pretty good but few have this crust. The key to that is deep frying quickly and at the right temperature. Also note the glaring absence of corn kernels. Now, although there are some Louisiana communities that will use corn in their puppies, most don’t. Most are either a bit spicy or only mildly sweet and not the overly sweet, dessert style pups one often finds on the road.

These delicate treats are a favorite of mine and I am pretty picky about the ones I really love. Certainly not with a mushy center. Or served with any kind of vinagrette. I have been known to dip them in remoulade sauce and some may use catsup. But, just like it’s mother, great crusty cornbread, I just love them hot and slathered with real butter. 😱

Shrimp and fried fish! Oh and cold Yuengling on the side. Making hush puppies isn’t difficult. Finding the right recipe is the trick. I have made quite a few versions, some better than others. I did some research before putting one here for you guys. This one has a lot of promise. I plan to make them before the weekend. I thought maybe we could all give it a shot then meet back here to see how we did.

I likely will not carmelize any onions but just use finely chopped green onion or grated shallot.

Anyway, welcome to Louisiana good food. I plan to visit home soon and get me some of this!

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70 thoughts on “Huuuush Puppy!”

Amazing! The name and how they got it. For real they were used to hush the pups! 😮 They look yum, especially with sea-food like that. Visually they remind me of supplì, fried rice balls with mozzarella inside, from Rome and surroundings. I’ve saved the recipe to my recipe folder, and maybe I’ll find the courage too one day. 😀

Oh, this looks so good, Cheryl, especially the combo with shrimp. I’ve had hush puppies before, but can’t say I was ever blown away by them. I guess they didn’t have a great recipe, huh? It’s like cornbread…I’ve had horrible and I’ve had great, depending on the recipe or the restaurant. Have a wonderful Saturday!

Thanks Mary. Yeah…who would think cornbread could be that diverse, but it really is. I even have certain recipes to use for making my cornbread dressing at holiday time. Food cam be fun. Have a great Saturday!

I can see why it’s a favorite. Thanks for the link. I avoid wheat as much as possible and when I splurge it is either homemade or what I know to be good quality. As I rule I don’t care for corn, mostly because it was the only ‘vegetable’ (not) I would eat growing up. So my Mom made it very often for me. It’s right up ther with Kool-aid, Jello and bananas. But I love cornmeal products and fried corn.

I have no doubt you could substitute things. The flour in the recipe isn’t much so using GF mix would work. I do find when I make GF baked goods, depending on the mix, the end result is quote fragile or crumbly. This is a light and delicate version so I might try one that doesn’t used buttermilk. Or try it first using Bob’s Red Mill One to One mix. I love that one! The recipes on the bag are really good. Namaste. 😉I do GF most of the time due to allergies.

Awesome! Yes, I just wrote about hush puppies last weekend, and it was sad to me how many people had not had the pleasure! I also ate some last night, with shrimp, yes ma’am! 🙂
I will not be making my own, but these look right good, and I’m sure your recipe is a winner!
Great post!

Thanks, Cheryl! I’m going to give these a crack over the weekend. If I can find self-rising cornmeal. I might have to make my own. I also don’t own a deep fryer. I usually get away with using the wok. We’ll see how we go.

You definitely can make your own. I picked up some at the grocery store this evening and made these. They are really good, light but with a crispy outside. Next time I may make my own so that I can use yellow corn meal. The only self rising was a white version. I fry in my magnalite stew pot. About 1/3 to 1/2 full of oil. I also used chopped green onion rather than carmelized. I added a couple Tbsp drained chopped pimiento and some cayenne pepper. I’ll do a post tomorrow with my ‘result’. Good luck and be sure to share your results! 🙂

Cheryl, I’ve never had a hush puppy in my life. Cornbread yes, The photographs of those puppies absolutely have my mouth watering !! Loved reading the history of hush puppies.

The up close and personal photo of the bee in the flower is outstanding. Good grief, you can almost count the hairs on its legs! I am in awe. If you want pictures with cut off heads, dark shadows across faces and glow-in-the-dark eyeballs, I’m your gal!! 😂😂😂😂
🔹 Ginger 🔹

Oooh! I’m so glad to hear it. I was going to look to see what my Fannie Farmer, an old Better Crocker, and the homemade family cook books have if any recipes on Hush Puppies too just to compare recipes.

I have tried so many different recipes. Until now I was using a recipe called Wampus Bread from an old community cookbook I inherited years ago. It had the right flavors but not the crunch that I love on the restaurant versions that are my favorites. This one has come closest. I tend to use green onions in most recipes, or finely chopped shallots. I just think the cooked onion might make a texture issue for me. I’m looking forward to your trial. Where will you be traveling on your photography trip?

Oh my! How perfectly wonderful. Be safe and do think of me when you are looking at the brilliant stars-my favorite thing-and I can experience it too. You’ll have some amazing photos and stories for us! 👏🏻

Well, let me know how they come out. Often online recipes have silly booboos. It is quite possible they meant 365. I just heat my oil till a small amount of batter fries and floats to the surface in a few seconds. Good luck! 350-375 there about.

Way to go! I had to laugh my arse off when I red Dan’s post the other day. Told him if worst came to worst, buy them frozen at the grocery store. But they would never compare with ‘made from scratch’ puppies!!

Well maybe with all that spare time you can get up early…just because…and take a leisurely drive, then have breakfast at Maddie’s, then whateveryou want with the rest of your day! I think I’d have to do that at least once a week just to feel the joy of not having to go on to work.😀

Reblogged this on No Facilities and commented:
Several people indicated, after my One-Liner Wednesday post that they have never had hush puppies, haven’t had good hush puppies, or can’t find hush puppies on a menu near them. I couldn’t leave this subject without addressing those problems. So, I asked my good friend and favorite bartender, Cheryl to share her recipe. Please visit her site and see how a Louisiana style hush puppy is made. Prepare to be hungry.